1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods that are used to dispense medications to low vision elderly and blind individuals and monitor if those medications have been taken in a timely manner. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods that retain a supply of medications and dispense the medications at preprogrammed time intervals.
2. Prior Art Statement
In developed countries, the life expectancy of the average person has increased significantly within the past few decades. One of the largest reasons for this increase in life expectancy is the development of pharmaceuticals that treat many of the diseases that commonly develop as a person ages. It is therefore not uncommon for an elderly person in a developed country to be taking at least one prescription pharmaceutical as part of a daily medication routine. Many low vision elderly and blind people, who have multiple ailments, may take several prescription pharmaceuticals each day in order to preserve health and treat existing disease.
Many prescription pharmaceuticals must be taken multiple times each day at regular intervals. When a person takes such prescription pharmaceuticals day after day, it is often difficult for that person to accurately remember whether or not he/she has taken the medication at the appropriate time. This problem is especially prevalent with elderly people who have natural memory degradation caused by age. The result is that a person may take the medication twice in a short period, thus taking an overdose. Alternatively, that person may not take the medications at all, thus taking an under dose. Both scenarios have the potential of adversely affecting the health of the person.
The prior art is replete with devices that have been designed to help a person remember whether or not they have taken their medications at the proper times. However, few of these prior art devices are specifically designed to help low vision or blind individuals. The simplest of these prior art devices is the pillbox. Pillboxes are compartmented boxes in which a person places their medications. At certain times during the day, a person takes the pills that are placed in the appropriate compartment. By seeing which of the compartments are empty and which of the compartments are still full, a person can determine whether or not the medications were taken or forgotten.
A problem associated with the use of pillboxes is that the pillboxes can only be used with pills. They cannot be used with medications that are in a liquid, powder, cream or aerosol form, such as eye drops, insulin and the like. Furthermore, if a person forgets to use the pillbox, the pillbox has no mechanism for warning a person that a certain medication dosage has been missed. Rather, a person will only come to that determination the next time they use the pillbox and see that a dosage is still present that should have been taken.
Recognizing the problems associated with static pillboxes, more sophisticated systems have been developed. In these systems, microprocessors are programmed with medication schedules. The microprocessors then actively inform a person that medication should be taken using existing telecommunications equipment such as telephones, beepers and two-way pagers. Such prior art systems are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,236 to Conkright, entitled Medication Dispensing And Timing System Utilizing Patient Communicator With Internal Clock. A problem associated with such sophisticated monitoring systems is that they are very expensive to use and difficult to program. Consequently, such systems do not appeal to many senior citizens who have limited incomes and little experience in programming high-tech equipment.
A need therefore exists for a system and method of dispensing medications to a low vision elderly or blind patient that actively informs a patient of medication times, yet is inexpensive and simple to use. A need also exists for a medical dispensing device with large lettering, controls and Braille labels that enable the device to be used by the visually impaired. These needs are met by the present invention as described and claimed below.
The present invention is a system and method of dispensing medications. The system includes a storage assembly that contains a plurality of different compartments. Each compartment has associated controls that are identified with both large raised lettering and in Braille to assist the visually impaired. The front of each compartment also contains a label of raised letters and Braille to assist the visually impaired. Each prescription of a person is placed in a separate compartment. The prescription can be a bottle of pills, a tube of cream, an inhaler canister, a vial of liquid or a can of powder. A microprocessor is contained within the storage assembly. The microprocessor is programmed with the times that each of the medications in each of the compartments is to be taken. At the appropriate times, the microprocessor opens the compartment containing the medication that should be taken. A person, upon realizing that a compartment has been opened, then takes the medication contained within that compartment.
A portable unit is carried by the person using the system. The portable unit interconnects with the main storage assembly when not in use. When connected to the storage assembly, data regarding the times of the prescription dosages are sent to the portable unit. Once removed from the storage assembly and carried by a person, the portable unit provides an indication of when that person should return to the storage assembly to take his/her medications.